OR EGO N PUBLIC PORT HISTORICAL AUDITOR I " S DC I CTY Volume 57, Number 5 Spencer Crawford, PublisherGiven ): Tribute at Last Rites Long Service With Gazette Times ' Ends at Portland Hospital The greensward, wet with the morning's rain, glistened in the bright sunshine of a beautiful spring afternoon, as the body of John Spencer Crawford, Gazette Times publisher, was lowered into the earth 'for its final rest last Monday afternoon. American Legion buddies with whom he had long worked fired salute. Jack Merrill sounded taps. Then last of the Masonic rites were pronounced. Beautiful were the flowers that profusely banked the graveside, part of a magnificent tribute to one whose life work had been centered in the community, and whom Death chose to visit to conclude a hard- fought battle of three months dur ation at the U. S. Veterans hospital in Portland last Friday. Rites at the Church of Christ pre ceding commitment at Masonic cem etery were in charge of Heppner lodge 69, A. F. & A. M., of which Spencer was secretary at time of death. "Martin B. Clark assisted Frank S. Parker who officiated for the lodge. Russell McNeill, Frank Turner, Frank C. Alfred and Ray P. Kinne, in quartet sang "One Sweetly Solemn Thought" and "Nearer, My God, to Thee." Pallbearers were Earl W. Gordon, Alva Jones, Garnet Barratt, Harold Cohn, D. A. Wilson and Archie Ball. The large attendance included many friens from outside the county as well as those from every part of the county. lone Masons assisted the local lodge in the ceremonies, and delegations were present from Heppner post, American Legion, the Legion auxiliary, high school faculty and students. Born in Heppner,, August 12, 1896, John Spencer was the fourth child of William Vawter and Cora Dale (Spencer) Crawford. Departing this life at Portland, Oregon, March 29, 1940, he was aged 43 years, 7 months and 17 days. With his life spent almost entirely in this city, he was graduated from both Heppner grade and high schools, the latter event occurring in 1915. His newspaper apprentice ship started in the Hepner Gazette office when his father became pub lisher in 1910. He was then 14 years of age, but soon was making a regular hand in the shop while completing his school work. From that time his life's work was cen tered in the Gazette Times. The only interruption in his work here came in 1918, when on Septem ber 14, he was inducted into his country's service while the World war was in progress, at Camp Lewis, Wash. He received his honorable discharge at the same place from the 43rd Co., 11th Battalion, 166th Depot brigade on January 11, 1918. Part of his service work was as clerk of the conscription board here in Morrow county. Upon receiving his discharge he was taken into full partnership in the newspaper business by his fath er and continued as co-publisher until his father's passing in 1934. He since had full management. Always active in community af fairs, Spencer at various times held leading offices in the Masons, Am erican Legion and Lions club, be ing a charter member of the latter. For the last several years he served as secretary of the Masonic blue lodge, and when taken away was serving his second term as a mem ber of the board of education of School district No. 1. He had served as commander of the sixth Oregon district, American Legion, and was once a member of the state execu tive committee of that organization. Heppner, NOSE COUNTING STARTS IN COUNTY Enumerators Begin Work In Six Eastern Oregon Counties Last Tuesday Morning The long-awaited counting of nos es1, otherwise taking the census," got under way in this district Tuesday morning when ' 83 enumerators working out of the supervisor's of fice at Pendleton started making house to house calls. Work was ex pected to commence in Morrow county Wednesday morning. Anoth er group of 29 enumerators will enter the field, completing the quota for the six counties coming under the jurisdiction of W .W. Sirrine, district supervisor. Assignments were virtually com plete Tuesday morning and portfol ios were being issued to enumera tors for Morrow and Walowa coun ties. Expectations were that the population count would be com pleted in about two weeks and the agriculture count in 30 days. Morrow county assignments were completed by Mr. Sirrine Tuesday morning as follows: Alpine and Pine City, Frank M. Lundell; Board- man and district, Minnie McFar land; Cecil and lone, Mary K. Thompson; Eightmile and Goose berry, Lewis C. Batty; Hardman, Ted L. Bumside; lone (outside), Joel C. Engelman; Irrigon, Arvilda P. Bleakney; Lena and North Hepp ner (outside), Louis D. Brown; Camp Heppner CCC, Lieut. Marius P. Hanford; Lexington, Emma H. Breshears; Heppner, Mary C. Mc Intyre; South Heppner (outside) Robert A. Jones. 'Soup to Nuts' Makes Hit With Audience The' title of the play, "Soup to Nuts," presented by the junior class of the local high school last Friday night was only an indication of the "concentrated foolishness" that kept a large crowd laughing heartily throughout the performance. Many compliments were received by the twelve members of the cast after the final curtain. The audience was particularly high in praise of the work of Don Bennett as Doctor Manny Pilski, the Hebrew health specialist, and Kathryn Thompson who played the role of Trudy Tru dello, an exotic movie queen. A futuristic farce written by Aus tin Goetz, the play delved into fu ture scientific developments and re vealed the actions of the cast wJien under the influence of "hate," "love" and "truth" pellets. Complete financial returns can not be obtained until next week but the amount turned in by the students who sold tickets has al ready assured a proift, according to Bud Blakely, class treasurer. The play, an annual event, was present ed to raise money for the junior- senior banquet and the junior prom. RANCHES SOLD A number of realty transactions were consummated in the county last week in the disposal of proper ties bv Federal Land Bank of Spo kane. The Noah Clark place in Eight Mile was purchased by Floyd Worden and the Ray Young farm in the same territory was acquired by Frank Anderson. On lower Rhea creek the Glenn Boyer place, oc cupied by Walter Rood the past vear. was sold to Noah Pettyjohn, who has taken possession. Rood moved his family to lone. Spencer married Lera Georgian Githens, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh C. Githens, in this city June 3, 1920. To them were bom three sons, John, Hugh, and Calvin, who, with Mrs. Crawford, survive. He is also survived by the mother, Cora Crawford, and eight brothers and sisters: Mrs. J. O. Turner, Mrs. R. B. Ferguson, Mrs. Leonard Schwarz and J. V. Crawford of this city; Arthur R. Crawford of San Rafael, Cal.; Mrs. LeRoy Jones of Montesano, Wash.; Mrs. Everett Hayes of Joseph, and William V, Crawford of Portland. Oregon, Thursday, April Benefit Saturday To Help Band's Trip To Annual Contest Past Laurels Cited as School Organiza tion in Tenth Year On Saturday, April 6, the Hepp ner school band will sponsor its sixth annual dance to raise money for its trip to the district musical festival at La Grande on April 12. The band will appear in a street concert at 4:30 on Saturday after noon and will also appear at the dance at 11:30 to play their three concert numbers. The warm up march is Sousa's "Semper Fidelis"; reauired number. "The Traveler," overture by Forrest Buchtel, and the selective number, "Hero," over ture by Harold M. Johnson. The dance starts at 9:30 at the Elks hall. Music will be furnished by Merrill's orchestra. The band was organized just ten years ago by Harold W. Buhman and attended its first contest in the spring of 1935. Since that time the band has made an impressive record for itself.' In 1936 the band walked away with top honors in class "D" division at the state contest. In 1937 the band again journeyed to Corvallis to gain the only superior rating. In 1938 the band duplicated their previous record by winning the only superior rating in their class. Nineteen thirty-nine brought a phanffe in the contest rules. In the district contest held in La Grande. Heppner took a superior which enabled them to attend the national regional contest in Portland. Against contestants trom Washington. Oregon, Idaho and Montana, Heppner drew an excel lent rating among the bands ot the nation. This vear the band goes to La Grande to compete in the district contest. Should Heppner gain a superior rating there, the bandsters will be entitled to go to the regional contest in Spokane. The roster of this year s band in cludes 47 members, two majorettes and a director. Instrumentation of personnel is, trumpets, Jack Merrill, Don Frederickson, Kemp Dick, Kay Ferguson, Nelma Hanlon, Dick Fer guson, Merle Burkenbine, Howard Gilliam and Raymond French; clar-, inets, Omer McCaleb, Richard Hay es, Don Jones, Paul Doolittle, Clif ford Faye, Kathryn Thompson, Lau ra Warfield, Elizabeth Healy, Doro tha Wilson, Kingsley Chapin, Jack O'Hara, James Barratt, Jr., Dick Edmondson, Loma Mae Jones, Lau- rell Ball, Betty Cunningham; trom bones, Henry Aiken, Don Evans, Robert Pinckney, Calvin Crawford; baritones, Hugh Crawford, Walter Skuzeski; saxophones, Lowell Ash baugh, Phillip Cohn, Louise Green, Harold Armstrong, Wilbur Worden; horns, Jackson Cantwell, Don Weh meyer, Jack Aiken; bass, Don Ben nett; oboe, Peggy Tamblyn; flute, John Skuzeski; percussion, Warren Blakely, Jr., Ted Ferguson, Shirley Wilson, Helen Healy, Mary Lou Ferguson; drum majorettes, Dorothy Huit, Norma Prock; director, Harold W. Buhrnan. FERGUSONS BUY PROPERTY Ferguson Motor company closed a deal this week for the. Natter res idence, purchasing it from Katie Mi nert. No changes in the newly ac quired property are contemplated for the present, it is stated. Miss Minert has moved to a cottage on Chase street which has been re modeled. The Natter house is one of the older properties of the city. Mrs. H. C. Woods of Portland is spending a few days with her mo ther, Mrs. Albert Rea. Business visitors in Heppner Tu esday were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fal coner of Pendleton. . 4, 1940 TOWN FOLKS EAT AT GRANGE HALL Chamber of Commerce Has Pleasant Meeting With People of Butter Creek Section Heppner people to the number of 48 met at the Lena Grange hall last evening where the regular meeting of the chamber of commerce was held. The Home Economics club of the Lena grange served the dinner and the reputation of Little Butter creek cooks was well sus tained. More than 80 people were served, for while the grange pro gram was suspended, a goodly num ber of the grangers were present to greet the visitors from town. The chamber presented the eve ning's program, including address by B. C. Pinckney, president, who told of the clubs program, its aims and the desire of the town to serve its surrounding territory. Russell McNeill favored with two vocal so los, accompanied by Mrs. McNeill. P. W. Mahoney spoke on the road program, reporting the results of the recent meeting of county com missioners and himself with the state highway commission and pros pects for highway improvement in the countv. pointing out that the commission's fiscal year starts July 1 and that some of the local pro jects will be up for consideration on the 1940 schedule. Following two numbers by the Lions club quartet, J. O. Turner spoke on the proposed rural route from Heppner to Lena via upper Blackhorse, Sand Hollow and lower Butter creek, returning over the Lena-Heppner sector of the O.-W. highway. Turner said that Heppner feels that mail service, where prac ticable, should be handled within the county and that Lena should be eettine its mail out of Heppner. Mrs. George Currin, president of the Lena Home Economics club, ex- Dressed pleasure of the club m having the chamber of commerce as guests. Seed Peas Ordered for Trial in County Contract have recently been sign ed by three Morrow county farmers with the Morrison Seed company of Spokane, for the growing of 420 acres of Perfection peas for seed. Frank Anderson and Al Bergstrom of the Eieht Mile community and Orville Cutsforth of Lexington will grow the peas this year, more or less as a trial. Representatives of the Spokane company who were in the county last week stated that they are in terested in finding a locality for the production of Perfection seed peas which is free from weavils. In checking the soil conditions, rainfall and frost records, the representa tives feel there is very good possi bility for this crop in Morrow coun tv. C. D. Conrad, county agent, states that if these trials turn out success fully the growing of peas for seed may furnish an opportunity for far mers in the locality to further di versifv their crops. Other farmers who are interested in trying out these peas on a small scale may obtain seed from the county agent's office free of charge. EAR INJURED IN ACCIDENT While engaged in woodcraft work at his residence Monday evening, Martin Clark, Christian minister, was the victim of an accident which came near to causing him to lose an ear. He was turning out vases for the Leington high school play and when he speeded up the motor the block he was sawing hurtled from the lathe and struck him on the side of the head. Mrs. Clark rushed him to a physician who took six stitches in the wound. Edison Morgan and family of lone were transacting business in Hepp ner Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Orville Smith drove to Yakima Tuesday on a short busi ness trip. Subscription $2.00 a Year Branch Warehouses Combined Under Cooperative Deal 200 County Produc ers United in New Storage Enterprise A deal claiming the attention of officers and directors of the Morrow County Grain Growers, Inc., Lex ington enterprise, was consummat ed Saturday when warehouses and facilities of Farmers Elevator com pany of lone were taken over. On Monday, April 1, the business was opened on a cooperative basis with all warehouse properties at Hepp ner, Lexington, lone and McNabb, formerly the property of the two concerns, placed under one manage ment. Approximately 200 grain growers and livestock producers of the coun ty are affiliated with the Morrow County Grain Growers as a result of the merger. All are stockholders and will participate in the affairs of the concern. Morrow County Grain Growers Co-operative association was incor porated on April 2, 1930. It was suc cessor to the Lexington Warehouse company and its policy has been one of expansion throughout. Dur ing the past winter the concern bought up some of the smaller ware houses at lone and following that transaction began working on plans to place most of the warehousing facilities of the branch under one management. The , Farmers Eleva tor company at lone was approach ed relative to selling its properties and after an agreement had been reached the Lexington concern set about to bring the deal to a conclu sion. Financing was arranged and it was necessary to secure part of the money through sale of shares to grain growers and stockmen of the territory to be served. With this job behind them, officials of the MCGG completed the transac tion with the Farmers Elevator and assumed control of the major part of the warehouse and elevator fa cilities of the county, with a total storage capacity of 500,000 bushels. Proposed plans of operation will be submitted to the stockholers at a special meeting calle for Mon day, April 8, at the Leach hall in Lexington. Further business, in cluding election of officers, will come before the annual meeting in June. Present officials are George N. Peck, president; Henry Baker, vice-president; R. B. Rice, secretary-treasurer, and O. W. Cutsforth, Werner Rietmann, E. C. Heliker and Lee Beckner, directors. G. J. Ryan is manager. Open House at CCC Camp Next Sunday Sunday, April 7, will be "open house' day at Camp Heppner CCC and an invitation has been extend ed the public to visit the camp be tween the hours of 1 and 5 p. m. Generous refreshments will be ser ved, the visitors will be shown about the camp and all who wish will be given an opportunity to in spect various projects completed and under construction by the Soil Con servation service. Fifty-three enrollees of the local camp and 39 from the SCS camp at Monument who have completed their service period, left Heppner by rail Saturday evening for Port land. Most of the boys were from Portland and surrounding commun itijes. Replacements sufficient to bring the camp's strength up to 190 enrollees are expected to ar rive here about April 20. Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Fortner and son Robert of Grass Valley were guests at the home of Mrs. Fortner's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Lucas, the past week.